So, I've been off BL for a long, long time. A lot has happened, I got pregnant and had a daughter. My mom got sick and passed away. I had to clear out and sell my childhood home and all the contents while trying to balance all of that and my full time job. It's been...something.

For a while, not long after my mom died (3 days before Christmas 2016 when my daughter was only 5 months old) I started searching out and reading books that dealt with death and grief. I read a lot of Joan Didion The Year of Magical Thinking, Blue Nights. I read When Breath Becomes Air and About Alice and A Widow's Story. I started Missing Mom and couldn't go any further because it was too hard and How We Die.

The Bright Hour is one of the most beautiful books I've read, ever. I can't possibly describe it except to use it's full title--The Bright Hour: a memoir of living and dying. It is so full of life, all the messiness and happiness and tragedy and humor and it faces death and mortality head on, unflinching. 

I recently reread it, now a year and a half since my mother passed, it still has such power and peace. I can't recommend it enough.

August 10, 2017 - I got a BINGO! (Second Row Across)

Character on the run - Falling for the Enemy by Naomi Rawlings

Queer NA - The Greek Tycoon's Green Card Groom by Kate McMurray 

Hero smells like a tree - Her Holiday Family by Winnie Griggs

July 30, 2017 Progress:

Hero has a pet other than dog/cat: The Bull Rider's Homecoming by Allie Pleiter (horse)

Geek/Nerd Element: Heat Wave by Merry Farmer (both MCs are astrophyiscists)

Baking/Sweets: A Family for Christmas by Winnie Griggs (heroine makes her own candy to sell in her sweet shop)

Person in Uniform: The Captain's Kidnapped Beauty by Mary Nichols

Heroine inherits business: A Lady for Lord Randall by Sarah Mallory (heroine inherits a finishing school for young ladies)

Romance Novel (free space): A Mistress for Major Bartlett by Annie Burrows

Conflict solved in one conversation: A Sultry Love Song by Kianna Alexander

Non-Regency Setting: Homefront Hero by Allie Pleiter (WWI)

Sub-genre you've never read: Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh (rock star)

Elaborate proposal scene: Alibi in High Heels by Gemma Halliday (top of the Eiffiel Tower at sunset)

Heroine smells like food: A Rose for Major Flint by Louise Allen (lemon and herbs)

Broke AF Hero: Diary of an Accidental Wallflower by Jennifer McQuiston (hero has few patients)

Set in a beach town: Honeymoon in High Heels by Gemma Halliday (resort in Tahiti)

Anthology: An Encounter at Hyde Park by Ava Stone, Karen Hawkins, Deb Marlowe, and Claudia Dain

Two things helped push the number of books I read this month higher than usual: 24in48 Read-a-thon and binge reading series via COYER. Since the start of COYER, I have managed to read through 4 series (1 was a duet, the others were longer). I will not be adding any more books to the list in August because I want to finish off the list. I am finding myself to be a definite mood reader (see binge reading a series) rather than a list follower.

Reading for the Pop Sugar challenge went better this month than last month's lonely 1 book. Again, thanks to that read-a-thon! I completed one challenge already - Library Love Challenge (hosted by Angel) "OverDrive Junkie" level (36+ books). I also earned all four badges within my library's summer reading program (adult level goal is to read 990 minutes; I am at 1200 and some change). My son earned all three badges and my daughter earned two at the kids level (goal of 660 minutes).

 DNFs: 2. The Rake's Redemption by Regina Scott was supposed to be read for RB Bingo but I couldn't stand either the hero or heroine - I don't think I made it to 25%. Whispered Promises by Nora Roberts was a 2-in-1 anthology of two 1980s category romance she wrote for Silhouette....1980s category romances DO. NOT. AGE. WELL. Just the sheer amount of smoking by both hero and heroine was enough to give me the dry heaves. I read a chapter from each story and then tossed it on the donation pile. And the descriptions of the clothes/hair/makeup/facial hair....NOPE.

Challenges

BL/GR: 117/150

Pop Sugar: 3; 40/52 prompts completed

COYER: 26/45 books

RB Bingo: 14/25

Library Love Challenge: 5; 40/36 for the year 

1. Rock Courtship: A Rock Kiss Novella by Nalini Singh (RB Bingo) (Library Love Challenge) - 1 star

2. Licensed for Trouble (PJ Sugar #3) by Susan May Warren (Library Love Challenge) 3.5 stars

3. Mayhem in High Heels (High Heels #5) by Gemma Halliday (COYER) - 3 stars

4. The Doctor's Undoing by Allie Pleiter (COYER) - 4.5 stars

5. The Soldier's Dark Secret by Marguerite Kaye (COYER) - 4.5 stars

6. A Charming Potion: A Magical Cures Mystery Novella (#2.5) by Tonya Kappes (COYER)- 2 stars

7. A Charming Wish (A Magical Cures Mystery #3) by Tonya Kappes (COYER) - 2.5 stars

8. A Family for Christmas (Texas Grooms #3) by Winnie Griggs (COYER) - 2 stars

9. A Charming Spell (A Magical Cures Mystery #4) by Tonya Kappes (COYER) - 2 stars

10. A Charming Magic (A Magical Cures Mystery #5) by Tonya Kappes (COYER) - 2 stars

11. A Charming Christmas (A Magical Cures Mystery #6.5) by Tonya Kappes (COYER) -2 stars

12. Bearly Awake (Providence Paranormal College #1) by D. R. Perry - 2 stars

13. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (Pop Sugar) (COYER) (Library Love Challenge) - 3.5 stars 

14. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (Pop Sugar) (COYER) (Library Love Challenge) - 5 stars

15. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan and Robert Venditti (Pop Sugar) (COYER) (Library Love Challenge) - 3 stars

16. Honeymoon in High Heels (High Heels #6.5) by Gemma Halliday (COYER) - 2 stars

17. Fearless in High Heels (High Heels #6) by Gemma Halliday (COYER) - 1.5 stars

18. A High Heels Haunting (High Heels #) by Gemma Halliday (COYER) - 1 star

19. The Greek Tycoon's Green Card Groom by Kate McMurray (COYER) - 2 stars

20. A Sultry Love Song by Kianna Alexander (COYER) - 3 stars

COYER continues and I'm doing the 24in48 read-a-thon this month. RB Bingo squares being filled by COYER books and library finds. Pop Sugar is on hold until the autumn, when I can give it the attention it deserves. COYER read-a-thon this month is physical books only, so I have some COYER reading list books on reserve for that.

1. Rock Courtship: A Rock Kiss Novella by Nalini Singh (COYER) (RB Bingo) (Library Love Challenge)- reading this one for the "heroine is taller than the hero" square. Not really feeling Singh's writing TBH, but it is only a novella and I have read much worse in the rock star niche.

2. The Rake's Redemption by Regina Scott (COYER) (RB Bingo) (Library Love Challenge) - reading this one for the "rake/rogue in the title" square....funny, read a lot of rakes/rogues in my historical reading, yet very few have those words in the title.

3. Licensed for Trouble (PJ Sugar #3) by Susan May Warren (COYER) (Library Love Challenge) - whenever the person who currently has it borrowed from OverDrive returns it, I am next in line for it. This is the last book in the series. Hurry up fellow library patron!!!

4. A Dance with Danger by Jeannie Lin (COYER) (possible RB Bingo) - time to work on completing the Tang Dynasty series. I have four books left to read.

5. Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin (COYER) (possible RB Bingo) - another Tang Dynasty book.

6. The Doctor's Undoing by Allie Pleiter (COYER) (possible RB Bingo) - sequel to Homefront Hero, which I loved. I'm so glad I picked up Ida's story as well during the sale. WWI era romance set in South Carolina.

7. The Bootlegger's Daughter by Lauri Robinson (COYER) (possible RB Bingo)

 - not a war time romance HUZZAH! Love in the time of speakeasies!

8. The Soldier's Dark Secrets by Marguerite Kaye (COYER) (possible RB Bingo) - back to Regency and the war with Napoleon. But I love the author's writing, so it should be a stand out.